The Phoenix Fallen
by Elycat
Summary: A sorceress attempts to kidnap Yuki and Kyo, a certain Dog is killed and returns to life, a phoenix comes to Earth, and an evil power rises again. Poor Shigure. Rated for violence. YukiTohru, ShigureOC.
1. Kuroi

_A/N: This is a Fruits Basket fanfic that I've been working on since sometime in October. It is still ongoing and I will finish it, no matter what the update date says to you. XD I actually have 11 chapters done as of this upload, but I'm not gonna post them all at once. Please R&R, enjoy!_

_Warning: Contains spoilers (volume 6 of manga; episode 24 of anime)_

_

* * *

Darkness._

Tohru strained her eyes, but was unable to see anything. The blackness obscured her vision, and she groped blindly in vain hope of finding something – anything – to use as a guide. Then she heard it.

"Honda-san… Tohru…" It was a weak gasp, hardly audible, in a voice she knew. Yuki.

"Yuki!" she cried, looking around her in an attempt to find the source of his voice. "Where are you?"

She stiffened as she heard an agonized scream, and then Yuki's voice rang out again. "Toh… Tohru… help… me… aaaargh!"

"Yuki!" Tohru cried in panic. "What's happening? Where are you? Yuki-kun, answer me!"

"Tohru, I… I can't…" He cried out again as if suffering unbearable agony, but his moans were drowned out by a terrible sound that resembled laughter. It was cruel laughter with no real merriment in it; a horrible, heartless voice that grated on Tohru's ears.

"Yuki!" she screamed.

Tohru sat up, breathing hard and drenched in sweat. _Only a bad dream…_ She clutched a hand to her chest. Her heart was pounding. _Just a nightmare… _Trembling, the girl slid out of bed and went about her ordinary morning routine, unable to shake off the horror she had felt in the nightmare.

As she came down the stairs, she saw Shigure sitting in a chair. He was sipping coffee, examining something in his lap and looking rather worried. He glanced up at her as she walked into the room.

"Tohru, what's wrong?" he said, looking concerned at her pale face. Tohru's eyes filled with suppressed tears at the note in his voice, and without thinking of the consequences, she flew into his arms.

"I had a nightmare," she sobbed. "Shigure-san, it was horrible!"

"So you felt it too," said Shigure grimly, putting his arms around her comfortingly.

Tohru gasped suddenly and pulled away. "Sh-shigure! I'm so sorry! But… why didn't you transform?" she added in disbelief, looking him up and down. Definitely still human. "And what do you mean… I felt it too?"

By way of explanation, he raised his right arm; he was wearing a bracelet that reminded Tohru of the one that Kyo always wore. Instead of elaborating further, he said, "What did you dream about?"

Haltingly, hiding her immense curiosity about the bracelet and the sudden departure of the curse, she told him. Shigure's brow furrowed. He looked more serious and worried than she had ever seen him. "Yuki must have tried to send us a message," he said quietly. "So his disappearance _is_ linked with…" He broke off abruptly and forced a smile. "But it's nothing for you to worry about, Tohru-chan," he said.

"What are you talking about?" Tohru said, gasping. "Yuki's disappearance? A message? And why didn't you transform?"

"That's a long answer," said Shigure with a sigh. Tohru seated herself near him, still looking acutely curious and concerned. "I've been feeling something strange coming from the woods all week," he said. "It's something to do with magic, that's for sure, but I didn't think it had anything to do with us until Yuki and Kyo vanished. I'm going to investigate the source of this."

"And the bracelet?" Tohru persisted.

Again, Shigure raised his right arm. "The bracelet is supposed to suppress spells cast on the wearer. I'm wearing it for protection, in case Yuki and Kyo are being held by force."

"Why don't you wear it all the time, if it stops the curse?"

"It's not strong enough for that. The Sohma family has always saved it for emergencies. The charm will deteriorate steadily as long as any cursed member is wearing it. Now I just have twenty-four hours. I'm actually surprised it wasn't used up long ago by some kid wanting a curse-free day with his girlfriend."

"How – how do you know that they're in danger?" Tohru said hesitantly. The girl wanted to believe they were safe, although her instincts told her otherwise. She did feel slightly disappointed that Shigure hadn't completely broken the curse, but other things were more important now. "They might just be off somewhere…"

"This should be proof enough." Shigure held up the object in his lap, and Tohru gasped. It was Kyo's bracelet, and it meant that somewhere he was trapped in his terrible true form.

"So they _are_ in danger, then," said Tohru quietly.

Shigure nodded. "And so are we, I fear. I just hope I can rescue them in time before the charm wears off." A moment's silence passed between the two before Tohru burst out again.

"Can I come? Oh, please?"

The man looked startled. Shigure clearly hadn't anticipated this. "Of course not," he said. "You'll be in too much danger!"

"I don't care," she cried. "Shigure, if Yuki's in danger…" Tears formed in her eyes and she shook her head. "That dream was horrible. He's being tortured, Shigure, I know it. We have to save him. _I_ have to save him, and you can't stop me!"

Tohru's hands were balled into fists and a furiously determined expression was on her face. Shigure sighed. "I guess I can't. Even if I leave you behind, I suppose you'll follow me." Tohru grinned a little and nodded. "Well, you had better come with me. It'll be safer than on your own. But once we find whatever it is – _stay hidden,_ you hear?"

Tohru nodded again, smiling and crying at the same time. "I promise. We just have to find them."

"Then let's go."

---

After walking in the woods for close to half an hour, the unlikely pair of rescuers had arrived at what looked like a hole in the ground. "That's definitely it," muttered Shigure. "Can't you feel the power coming from in there?"

Tohru couldn't, but she merely nodded and followed Shigure down. Affirming Shigure's suspicions that someone was hiding there, there was a rope ladder hanging down into the darkness. The two of them walked through a dark tunnel until they emerged into a dimly lit cavern.

"Get behind me," murmured Shigure, then squared his shoulders and stepped forward, meeting the gaze of the tall, dark-haired woman who was standing ready, arms akimbo, to meet him.

She inclined her head very slightly. "Shigure Sohma."

He returned the gesture. "And you would be…?"

"Kuroi. The Sorceress Kuroi. Now to what do I owe this visit?"

Shigure turned his head slightly to a corner of the room. "I think you know."

Following his gaze, Tohru surveyed the room for the first time and noticed things she had not before. The center of the room was bare, with several strange machines and devices along the walls. At the far wall was a large dark archway, the contents of the opening obscured by shadow. Tohru felt a shiver of horror travel down her spine as she saw, in the corner that Shigure watched, the unconscious form of Yuki chained to a sort of table.

"I would like my cousin returned to our home," Shigure continued evenly. "And I was wondering if you had anything to do with the disappearance of Kyo as well."

A smirk twisted Kuroi's lips. "No, Yuki has been invited for an… extended stay. As for Kyo, why don't you greet him yourself?" She snapped her fingers.

All at once, Tohru realized Shigure's mistake. "Shigure, no!" she cried, but it was too late. From the dark archway emerged an enormous, mutated, draconic form. The creature bared its fangs and hissed, slashing at thin air with razor-sharp claws. A row of spikes bristled along its back.

It was Kyo.


	2. Saving Kyo

_A/N - Squee, you all make me a happy kitty. Before posting this here, I only had... one reader. Hehe. Anyway. onwards!_

_Forgot my disclaimer last time, so I'll put it here. This goes for the entire fic: FRUITS BASKET IS NOT MINE. No, not even Shigure... sniffle. The only people I own are Kuroi, Tharaide, Misaya, and Shiro. The last three will make their appearances sometime... >3_

* * *

_Freeing Kyo_

Tohru's eyes widened. It was certainly Kyo-kun's distorted true form, but it was far larger and more terrible than she had remembered. Not only that, but he seemed to have no knowledge of who he was and no memory of Shigure or Tohru. The awful purple eyes narrowed and the fangs bared as the monster advanced on them.

"Kuroi must have mutated him further," murmured Shigure. "Go and rescue Yuki, quickly."

He shoved her aside just as Kyo lunged for him. Tohru hesitated. "Just go, now!" shouted the Jyuunishi dog as he dodged his cousin's attack.

Tohru dashed to Yuki's side as Kuroi remained distracted by Shigure's fight. She shook his shoulder urgently, and the boy moaned slightly. "Yuki? Yuki-kun, are you all right?" Futilely, she began pulling at some of the metal bands that bound his arms, legs, and neck.

Unfortunately for her, Kuroi had noticed. The sorceress turned slowly and strode toward them, smirking, her long black hair fanning out behind her. She gave a cruel grin, her gray eyes narrowed.

"Now what should I do with you?" she murmured. "I'm afraid your little rat friend is staying just where he is."

"Let him go," said Tohru bravely, squaring her shoulders. "What do you want him for?"

Kuroi opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a clattering sound. Someone else had just climbed down the ladder, quickly and haphazardly, and was now dashing toward them. "I believe I should give you a demonstration," said the woman then, turning to face the new arrival.

"What do you think you're doing?" screamed Akito. Tohru had never seen him in such a rage. "Yuki and Shigure belong to me! I, Akito Sohma! I'm the leader of the Jyuunishi, I'm the head of the family! And _I_ will decide their fate!"

The sorceress raised one eyebrow. "Oh, really? I believe my authority is greater than yours in this matter, Akito."

Akito gave a cry of rage and lunged for her, but coolly Kuroi raised one arm, a ball of light forming in her palm. An enormous beam of light shot from her outstretched hand, engulfing Akito and blasting him at least ten feet across the room. Tohru gasped, and then noticed two things. As Kuroi called on this incredible power, Yuki cried out in pain and started writhing violently in his bonds. At the same time, the ring on Kuroi's right hand seemed to shine brightly. When she lowered her arms, Yuki's screams and convulsions ceased. Tohru nearly missed the ring's glow fading.

Tohru tried to piece this new information together. Kuroi smirked again. "You see? As long as I have Yuki here, I can power my own spells with his life force and with the power of his curse." The ring glimmered again.

"That's…" gasped Tohru. "That's… you're horrible!"

"Thank you," purred Kuroi. "If we're lucky, Shigure will survive his little fight… that will make twice the power I could have gained from Yuki." Her eyes narrowed further. "But what shall I do with _you?_ Without the Sohma curse, your energy won't be strong enough to affect me." She raised a hand. "Pity, but I'll have to dispose of you."

Without even thinking, Tohru lunged at her and grabbed at her right hand. Caught by surprise, Kuroi fell backward against one of her machines. (It rather resembled a refrigerator, but Tohru was too distracted to notice this.) Not quite sure what she was doing, Tohru pulled the ring off her finger and dodged away. Kuroi stared.

"Why, you little --!" She lunged after Tohru.

The girl had to think quickly. Piecing together what she had deducted, she realized that Kuroi was probably draining Yuki with this ring. If the effect could be reversed… She slipped the ring onto Yuki's finger.

"What did you _do?"_ screeched Kuroi, her eyes widening in rage and pain. She shuddered involuntarily, screamed, and vanished. At once, Yuki sighed and his body relaxed. His eyes opened slowly.

"Tohru?" he muttered. "Ow, my head…"

"How do I get you out of this?" said Tohru urgently, again pulling at the bands that held him in place.

"There's a lever on… the other side." Weakly Yuki waved his left hand. Tohru reached across him to pull it, and gently helped him up, trying not to transform him.

"Yuki, you have to do something," Tohru gasped, turning her attention back to the fight. Shigure was strong, but it didn't look like he stood a chance against Kyo.

"I don't think there's anything we can do," murmured Yuki, his eyes widening slightly. He leaned on Tohru heavily, limping as they moved forward. A sudden movement made him gasp in pain, and he fell to his knees, clutching his right arm. "I think it's broken," he breathed.

Tohru dropped beside him, one hand on his shoulders. "We can't just sit here doing nothing," she whispered, gazing at the struggle.

Shigure was panting with exertion. "Kyo-kun, snap out of it!" he shouted. "It's me! I'll help you transform back!"

It was worthless. Kyo only roared and swiped again with his claws, catching Shigure on his shoulder. The injured Dog jumped back, gasping with pain. He squinted up at the monster that was his cousin, trying to figure out why he was so further mutated than he had been. Finally he had it. A steel collar, tight around the creature's neck, similar to the one that had bound Yuki. It had flashed strangely when Kuroi had attacked Akito.

He threw himself at Kyo. Taken by surprise, the creature fell back, and Shigure threw his arms around his neck, pulling at the collar. The monster roared angrily, rearing up. His attacker clung desperately to the collar, wrenching at it. Kyo's claws raked his back, and he cried out with pain and exertion. The next swipe tore him loose, and he collapsed on the ground, moaning.

Shigure picked up Kyo's bracelet, the one that kept him from transforming. A plan formed in his mind. "If I can't get the collar off… maybe the bracelet will still work." But forcing it onto the flailing creature was going to be difficult. He stood up one more time, panting from the effort. "Come and get me, Kyo-kun," he gasped.

The movement caught Kyo's eye, and he resumed the attack. Shigure was ready for him. He ducked and caught at Kyo's arm. Once again pulling at the collar, he tried desperately to force the bracelet onto the creature's forearm. Kyo tried to shake him off, slashing at him and bucking back and forth. Shigure gritted his teeth and clung harder; he couldn't keep this up long.


	3. Loss

_A/N - I've finally realized why I'm so dissatisfied with the first parts of this 'fic. XD I wrote them before I'd established the 'soundtrack' playlist, and I wrote them having only seen about three episodes of the anime. Things don't really start getting good until... partfour or five, and in my opinion the first _really_ good part is #6. >D So. Endure this until we reach the good stuff. XD_

* * *

Tohru screamed as Kyo's claws tore at his cousin again. "Kyo-kun, no!" Shigure seemed to be trying to grab Kyo's left arm, and she realized what he was doing. An idea struck her. "Shigure! Try looping it around his spikes!"

The man heard her. Just when seemed like he would lose his grip, he dropped it over one of the long spikes on Kyo's neck, and regained his hold on the collar. Kyo gave a terrible keening screech, and started to thrash back and forth as the bracelet's powers battled those of Kuroi. Shigure was torn loose, as was the collar. He struck the wall quite hard and fell to the ground, unmoving. Tohru clung to Yuki so hard that he could feel his uninjured arm falling asleep, but he was just as tense. Finally Kyo transformed, a human once more.

"Shigure?" cried Tohru, jumping up and dashing to his side.

Kyo sat up, groaning and holding his head. Then he saw Shigure and he stiffened, his eyes wide and horrified. "What have I done?" he breathed.

Tohru knelt down beside Shigure, and sucked in a breath as she saw the extent of his injuries. "You're alive," she gasped in relief, although as soon as she saw the angle of his neck, she knew. He wouldn't survive. His spine had snapped on impact.

Yuki ran up to them, and he too gasped at the sight of Shigure. His leg was trapped beneath him at a strange angle, the bone crushed. His chest was soaked with blood from the gashes inflicted on him by Kyo's claws, and if it hadn't been for the slight rasp of his shallow breathing, Yuki would have thought he was dead.

Shigure moaned and tried to struggle upright, but fell back, convulsing painfully in a coughing spasm. "D-don't try to move," stammered Tohru. "You're going to be okay."

A faint smile crossed his face. "Always the optimist, Tohru-chan," he whispered.

"Just relax, Shigure," said Yuki. "We'll get Hatori here soon, and…"

Shigure shook his head slightly, wincing at the movement. "It's… too late for that. Listen… I know… you can keep going. You'll be… fine… without me."

"Shigure, no…" Yuki bowed his head and buried his face in his hands. Tohru leaned her head on his shoulder, trying to comfort him without transformation resulting.

They jumped, startled, as footsteps rang out behind them. It was Hatori. "Is everyone okay? I felt…" He trailed off, looking stunned. "What… happened?"

"Kyo happened," whispered Yuki bitterly, his eyes closed.

"It wasn't his fault," Tohru said quickly. "It was…" Abruptly she broke down into tears, unable to continue.

Hatori crouched down beside them. "Come on," he said gently. "It's going to be okay." He helped Yuki to his feet, and his jaw tightened at the sight of his friend's lifeless form. Too much loss.

The two followed him silently as he made his way over to Kyo, who was still frozen on the ground and shivering in a state of shock. "This wasn't your fault, Kyo-kun."

Hatori was as grief-stricken as the rest, but his calm presence helped pull everyone together. Talking gently, his arm around Kyo, he prepared to leave the cavern. But then Tohru froze, bursting into tears.

"Hatori! We can't just leave him!" Sobbing, she dashed over to Shigure and tried to pull him upright. "Please, what about Shigure?"

The sight of her hysterics made tears well up in Hatori's own eyes. Softly but firmly he pulled her away. "It's too late for him, Tohru," he said, his voice gentle. "But Yuki and Akito are hurt. They need help. We'll come back for him, Tohru, I promise."

Tohru never knew how Hatori managed to get all of them into his car, parked in the forest outside the tunnel, and drive away. Tohru was sobbing, Yuki looked faint from the pain of his broken arm, and Kyo was still shaking and refusing to speak. "It's going to be fine," Hatori insisted, but it was a hollow promise. As Tohru looked out the window at the receding dark spot in the landscape, she knew things would never be the same again.


	4. Tharaide

_A/N - Thanks for the reviews, everyone Once I've put up chapter 12, updates won't be so frequent, because I'll have to actually write them. XD I'll try, though... anyway, today we meet Tharaide, your local angsty phoenix. Onwards!_

_

* * *

_"Dinner's ready, everyone!" said Tohru, trying her hardest to sound bright and cheerful. The effort was not returned. Yuki nodded his thanks and silently began to eat; Kyo turned away, not meeting her eyes.

It was like this now. Life had returned to something that could be called "normal" for the Sohmas, but without Shigure everything was different. The entire family, with the probable exception of Akito, had been shocked by his sudden death. Though Hatori regularly stopped by to check up on them, and the visits of Momiji and Haru had become even more frequent, the house seemed empty. Tohru knew they wouldn't be able to stay much longer, with the former owner slain. She only hoped that Yuki would not be forced to return to the Sohma Estate. Perhaps he would be permitted to live with his brother Ayame. The siblings did not get on well, but anything was better than returning to Akito.

It was worst for Kyo. The family was shocked indeed, and he was paying for it. Tohru felt a stab of pity in her heart as she looked at him. The Cat was a shell of his former self. He barely spoke to her or to Yuki anymore, probably because Yuki blamed him for Shigure's death, and though he still squabbled and fought with Haru and Uo-chan, it was with none of his former vehemence. He had always been ostracized from the family, and the tragedy had only made it worse.

Yuki, on the other hand, had only grown more and more withdrawn. Despite what Tohru said, he obstinately refused to forgive Kyo, and though they rarely fought anymore, the pair's rivalry had evolved into stark animosity.

They were both startled when Kyo spoke, his voice barely audible. "Tohru, Yuki… I'm…" He trailed off, gulped, and tried again. "Could you ever forgive me… for… what happened?"

Tohru opened her mouth, about to speak, but Yuki beat her to it. A cold rage was in his eyes. "How can we?" he whispered, and he stood up. "How can we ever forgive you?" he shouted. "Can't you see what you've done? You've killed someone who was one of us, one of the only members of our family who was willing to take you in! No, I could never forgive you. Akito's right, Kyo… you really are a monster."

A look of mingled horror, fury, and sadness filled Kyo's eyes. Unable to take any more, he rushed from the room. Yuki collapsed back onto his chair, tears running down his face. "It wasn't his fault, Yuki," said Tohru, feeling absolutely horrified that the tension had reached this point. "I know you're upset… but you can't lay the blame on him just like that."

"What else can I do?" whispered Yuki, looking up at her with anguish in his eyes. With that, he too rose and left the room, leaving Tohru alone and feeling even more hopeless than she had before.

Everyone felt so miserable that nobody noticed the odd presence of smoke, hovering around the place where Kuroi's lair had been.

---

After Hatori and the others had left, the laboratory was pitch-black and silent. But not for long. Two bright flashes in quick succession flared up, leaving two beings standing there, a boy and a girl, perhaps in their late teens or twenties. The fires died away and the girl stepped forward, shaking ashes from her waist-length red hair. Certainly an odd method of travel. Her companion, whose hair was darker, followed suit.

"What a mess," said the girl with disgust, looking around her. Her strange golden eyes were narrowed. "Misaya, are you sure this is the place?"

"Quite sure, Tharaide," Misaya replied. "The Council was quite clear. Check that side over there."

"Frankly, I'm worried," said Tharaide with a frown, moving around the room. "It was supposed to be a power transfer spell, and you know those are illegal. For a human to gain the power…"

"We're just lucky it _was_ a human," said Misaya, bending over to look underneath an overturned table. "If one of Shiro's old group had found the ring, it would have been a disaster. It would have been theoretically possible to resurrect him."

Tharaide shuddered. _It's been fifteen years since…_ Aloud, she replied, "They were exiled, and most of his army was magically constructed anyway. Let's just find it and get out of here."

The pair moved systematically about the room. Misaya seemed relatively at ease, a cheerful expression on his face, but Tharaide's shoulders were hunched and her face was serious. It was always like that between the two of them, and it had been for years. Finally, each stopped as the other let out a gasp of surprise.

"Found it!" said Misaya, grinning and tossing the magical object from hand to hand. "Tharaide, let's…"

He trailed off as he saw his friend kneeling on the other end of the room. "What'd you find?"

"A human," she murmured. "He must have been left in the aftermath of some battle here…" Misaya walked over to her to find her crouched over Shigure, feeling his pulse. "I can't believe it. He's still alive."

"Tharaide…" He sighed. _Ever since the incident with Seita, she's been like this. Always gloomy, always taking some fancy into her head._ "We can't waste time on a human. He might even be the culprit, have you thought of that?"

"It just doesn't feel right to leave anyone here in this state, human or not," said Tharaide. "He's badly injured, Misaya. I doubt human medicine would do any good at this point, you know that." She was silent for a while before speaking again. "Besides… if he knows anything about the incident with the ring, the council may be interested."

Misaya shook his head. "If he survives the fire, which I doubt. Few humans can take it. Ah, well, it's all the same to me. Let's go."

Tharaide straightened herself, still supporting Shigure with one arm, and her eyes took on a look of concentration. Two scarlet-and-gold wings flared out from her back, and the fire engulfed the three of them.

Five minutes later, only scattered ashes and scorch marks showed that any of them had ever been there.


	5. Fallen and Risen

_A/N -Whee! I've calculated how many chapters this'll probably have - anywhere between 22 and 25. Hope that doesn't scare you off. XD_

_And I'm so totally excited - **Howl's Moving Castle is out on DVD,March 7!** Eeee. 333 I'll have no choice but to write some fanfics when that happens. Can't WAIT._

_Phantom 1 - Tharaide and Misaya are both OCs. Misaya is named after a character in Tokyo Mew Mew, but he's still very much his own person. My OCs do tend to have a lot of backstory to them... at least the important ones. I just hope I remember to put it all in the story itself. XD_

* * *

Kuroi shook her head with disgust as she entered the lab. A week. It had taken her little more than a week to recover, but predictably the place was ruined. Curse that stupid dog! Fortunately, he was probably dead by now. She smiled slightly at her own ingenuity. Take the curse that already bound Kyo, give it a few tweaks of her own, and there you go. Instant fighting machine. 

And now she had completed the final stage of her plan. The loss of Yuki and Kyo was of no consequence. Now she would be unstoppable.

It had been an accomplice of hers, years back, who gave her the idea. It was a man who she later discovered to be an actual phoenix of legend. He had told her of his master whom he had once served, a powerful phoenix of the dark fire. He had been killed by another, a bird called Seita, and his ashes scattered on the wind; but with magic they could be collected and the fallen phoenix resurrected. But it would take power. Quite a bit of power; and Kuroi had lost her partner when he tried something too daring to gather the needed energy. She'd thrown his body into the sea. He had proven useful, but she would rather not have a phoenix rise from the ashes to challenge her newfound power.

She hung her torch in a bracket inside the back cave, and stared at the pyre she had built. The scent of exotic wood and spices filled her nostrils; the last piece to the spell was held in her hands. With a deep breath of anticipation, she poured the jarful of ashes onto the pile of wood and dramatically thrust her torch onto the wood, setting it alight.

Strong scents and bright lights flared as the pyre burned, but soon it turned. The fires reached an incredible height, scorching the roof, and then a pair of black wings spread out, reaching from the fire. They were followed by a feathered head, a long hooked beak, and then in a burst of frenzied flame, the Phoenix Fallen. In the flesh.

The large bird lit down before his dying pyre, and surged upward to become, instead, a tall black-haired man with feathered wings flaring from his back. He stepped forward, shaking the ashes from his long and tattered cloak, smiling rather unpleasantly.

"Phoenix!" Kuroi's own smile widened, and she spread her arms wide. Clearly the power she had collected from Yuki had been enough. "My dark creature of fire. Go now, unleash your wrath on that accursed family." She nearly chuckled at her own words. Accursed? They already were. No need for her to blight them.

To her surprise, though, the phoenix did not fly off immediately in a rush of black fire and feathers. Instead, he laughed. That laugh sent chills up her spine, ruthless as she was.

"Your creature?" The phoenix took several strong strides toward her, taking her chin in his hand. She gulped. He was quite a bit taller than she was, and the look in his eyes was cold and calculating. He laughed again. "Fool! Shiro Nightwing belongs to no one. I suppose you think that resurrecting me gave you control over me. You were wrong. You merely gave me what I needed to live again. Your own powers had nothing to do with it."

Kuroi gulped, stepping back. "I meant no harm…"

Shiro gave a twisted smile. "No, I daresay you didn't. Not to yourself, that is." He advanced on her, and she shrank back again, sure that she was about to be slain. At the last moment, he checked himself. "But you still could prove useful for my revenge. Tell me, how exactly did you manage to do all this?" He nodded at the dying flames of the pyre.

As Kuroi spoke, her voice trembling, Shiro's cruel smile widened. This was even better than he could have hoped.

When Shigure first woke up, he couldn't believe his eyes.

He had been sleeping in a magnificent room with white marble walls, a vaulted ceiling, and light streaming in through arched windows. A room he had never seen in his life. He slid out of bed, stretching, and then started, remembering. He was completely unharmed, and yet his last memory before he blacked out was the excruciating pain of his snapped spine. Wondering if this was a dream – or if he was dead – he stood and walked over to the high window, reaching almost to the ceiling.

It looked out over a city, one like none he had ever seen before. Magnificent buildings with ornate rooftops, built of stone, lined smoothly paved streets and curving paths. Though it was quite a large city, he didn't see a single skyscraper or even a car. Walking on the paths and the silvery streets were, on foot, thousands of people… or were they people? Many of them appeared to have wings. Shigure looked closer, but he was not mistaken.

He jumped backward as a great scarlet-and-gold bird with long trailing tailfeathers soared past his window. This could not be real.

Shigure turned as the door opened to admit a tall girl with waist-length red hair. Up close, she removed all doubt from his mind; these people could not be human. It was not just her strange golden eyes or bright golden wings: some quality about her face could not be accounted for in a human being.

The girl nodded at him gravely. "You're awake, I see. That's good."

Questions filled his mind at once, but he said only, "Where am I?"

"Nystas Elden," she replied. "The city of the phoenixes. You have nothing to fear, Sohma-sama."

He started. "How… how do you know my name? Who are you?"

"I am Tharaide Flamewing." She gave him a piercing look. "Yes, Shigure, we know your family… but… you wouldn't know us. We corrected that long ago."

"Wait…" Shigure started. The girl was reminding him of someone now, and he thought he knew who. Hatori. "Are you saying that… my… memory was erased?"

"Not yours personally. Your family's, years ago." Seeming to lose interest in the dog, she walked over to the window and leaned on the sill. After a long pause she spoke again. "You seem to be recovering quickly. Rest now. All your questions will be answered tomorrow. I'll take you around the city if you like."

Shigure hesitated, then nodded, returning to sit on the edge of his bed. He could not resist one last question. "But Tharaide… how can I be alive? I thought I was going to die. I broke my _neck._ How did you…" He trailed off, staring at her searchingly. "You're an angel," he whispered.

Though her face was as solemn as ever, an amused note crept into the girl's voice. "No. You are very much alive, and I am certainly no angel. Though we try to deny it, the truth is that phoenixes are physical beings and very much mortal." Her eyes darkened and the playful tone dropped from her voice as she spoke, her brow furrowed. Abruptly she turned and paced to the door, pausing to say, "Rest well." With a courteous nod, she was gone.

_What a strange person,_ Shigure thought as he lay down again. Still wondering about the mysterious city he had found himself in, he fell asleep.


	6. At Nystas Elden

_A/N - Dang, I'm bored. XP Since it's aweekend, I might upload two parts tomorrow if I'm feeling nice... and if I get some reviews... I'm also working on a Furuba parody fic right now, which may or may not be uploaded soon._

* * *

Tharaide was true to her word. The following day, she deemed Shigure fit to explore the city and proceeded to show him the sights of Nystas Elden. Shigure was amazed; this place was incredible. The buildings ranged from small houses to soaring marble structures with beautiful architecture, unique and unlike anything he had seen before. The paths and streets were lined with white stone and silver, and the few trees he saw were tall and stately with lush foliage and smooth bark. As he drank in the experience, he realized that all the phoenixes he passed seemed fascinated with him. "They act like they've never seen a human before," he said to Tharaide.

"Most of them haven't," she replied. "Nystas Elden has been isolated from Earth for over three hundred years.

After he'd seen the gardens and prominent buildings of Nystas, they stopped in a park-like space for a meal. They were joined by another phoenix, a male, who seemed far more cheerful than Shigure's saturnine companion.

"Tharaide," he greeted her. "I assume this is your human guest?"

She nodded, and they were introduced. The phoenix, Misaya, narrowed his eyes sharply at the mention of the name Sohma, but did not elaborate. Instead, he produced a satchel of food, settled himself in the grass near them, and began to eat. Halfway through their meal, however, Tharaide suddenly stood.

"I must be leaving," she said. "I will see you both tomorrow… goodbye…" The girl hurried off. Shigure stared.

"Well, that was unexpected."

Misaya shrugged. "That's Tharaide for you. She's never been the same since…" He trailed off.

"Since what?"

"It's not my place to say."

The two were silent for some time, but after a while Shigure began to ask questions, taking advantage of the time in order to gather some much-needed information.

"Where is Nystas Elden, anyway?" he said. "Tharaide said it was isolated."

Misaya chuckled. "It certainly is," he replied. "Nystas is located atop a floating island, several miles above Earth. It's shielded from view, as well, so to any passing pilots it appears as a misty blur. There are several others like it, but this is the largest." There was pride in his voice, and he smiled, pleased.

"And what about the phoenixes?" Shigure went on. "I've only seen a few creatures that are actually… well…"

"Birds?" Shigure nodded. "Yes, one of our powers is to disguise ourselves like this. We can hide the wings, as well, but on our own we prefer this form. It is the most practical, after all. The best of both worlds."

Misaya answered the dog's questions for a couple hours. Shigure was astounded at what the phoenix knew. Most incredible of all was the story of Shigure's own family. He had known that the Sohmas were cursed and, as a result, had a slight trend towards the magical rather than the mundane, though only the Dragon was blessed with any special powers. However, he did not know that hundreds of years ago, in Japan's feudal days, the family had actually been close to several mythical species like the dragons and the phoenixes. As time went on and these creatures vanished from the human world, however, the phoenixes eventually chose to erase the family's memory of such things. Ever since, the Sohmas' knowledge of magic had been no more than what superstition most humans retained.

This pleasant existence lasted for several days. Shigure stayed in the tall, pillared stone building called Healer's Hall, roaming the city and speaking with Tharaide and Misaya. He found the two phoenixes were agreeable company, and though Tharaide was formal and somber, he found himself being drawn to her.

One odd thing he noticed was that every afternoon, Tharaide would stop whatever she was doing and slip away from the others, not returning until evening. She never told him where she went and never made any move to bring him, and so he minded his own business and let her be. One day, his curiosity reached its limit and he asked Misaya about it.

"Tharaide?" Misaya smiled sadly. "Training. Her life is dedicated to it. She blames herself for the… losses… we suffered, years ago in the battle of the Phoenix Fallen, and she has put her heart and soul into learning the art of fencing. She wasn't always like this, but…" Again he trailed off. "She may consent to bring you along if you like."

The next day, she did. She led him to a terraced hill some distance from the city, and there proceeded to practice her craft. The girl was changed completely with her sword and spear in hand. The blade whipped around her like a living thing, scoring deep into her targets with a slight flick of her wrist or a nearly insignificant turn. Shigure never tired of watching her.

After a few days, he worked up his courage to ask her if she would teach him. She agreed, and they began practicing with wooden cudgels. His first training session lasted all afternoon, and by the end he was nearly regretting his request, but just before they parted Tharaide gave him a slight nod and her solemn expression lightened somewhat. "You have talent," she said, and strode off.

"Coming from Tharaide, that's high praise," murmured Misaya, and smiled.

Shigure nearly forgot his longing for home with this new challenge on his mind. Every day he joined her in training, and she drilled him until he could block everything she threw at him and launch strikes that would disarm or slay an unprepared opponent. After a while, they progressed from wooden stakes to actual sabers, and their fencing matches moved on from the stone plaza atop the hill. "You need to be able to fight back no matter what the terrain," she said, and they would fence on the paths and steps of Nystas Elden.

Sometimes, in the middle of their fencing matches, they would stop for a rest and Tharaide would point out interesting places or features in the city. These rests never seemed to last long, but they always seemed long enough. Soon, they would pick up their sabers again and begin another long match.

In the excitement of matching her wits and skills against Shigure's, Tharaide became less reserved. Instead of staying in the secluded training arena, they fought wherever and whenever they could: in the city, in the forest, even at the very edge of the city where foliage turned to cloud and cloud became thin air. The pair's duels became near legendary among the phoenixes of Nystas Elden, who would often gather to watch them.

"I've never seen her so happy," said Misaya softly to Shigure one evening, and he smiled. "Not since the battle of the Phoenix Fallen."

Shigure inquired again as to the nature of this battle, but again Misaya refused.

Parry and thrust. Fencing became second nature to Shigure, and it was as if he had spent his whole life learning it. It wasn't like the constant martial battles that went on between Yuki and Kyo. It was art, it was a dance. It was a challenge of the mind. Absorbed in their battles, sometimes hours long, Tharaide and Shigure would be completely unaware of their surroundings, of the phoenixes watching, of the splendor of the sky city. They were content; and forgetting that Shigure was recovering from his injury, they pushed themselves to their limits.

One morning, however, Tharaide was missing. "She's gone to see the Council," said Misaya, and refrained from saying that the subject of their discussion was Shigure himself. When Tharaide returned, her face had lost some of the light it had gained in her weeks with Shigure.

"You leave tomorrow," she told him quietly.

He smiled sadly. "It'll be good to be back. But… I'll miss you."

"I know." There was a long silence, and then she spoke again. "And…" She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Shigure, but you will… have your memory wiped."

"What?" He stiffened. Now this was irony. Usually the Sohmas were the ones doing the mind-wipes, not the other way around.

The girl's eyes were suspiciously bright. "I tried to tell them that you could be trusted. You're a Sohma. But the law is the law, and…" She trailed off, shaking her head as if speechless. Finally she turned to him hopelessly. "It will be painless. When you wake up, it will be as if you spent these weeks in a coma. Nobody will be any the wiser."

"I don't want to forget you, Tharaide." Shigure's voice was a whisper.

"And I wish you didn't have to forget." Her tear-filled eyes met his, and they were silent for a long time.

Finally, Tharaide rose, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Well. One last match, Sohma-san?"

He smiled. "Yes. One last time."

It was talked about in Nystas Elden for years to come. The pair's movements were crisp and precise as they strode out into the street and drew their sabers. Tharaide's eyes glinted with the promise of a challenge, and Shigure was smiling. In one fluid movement, she lunged, and he met her rush with a clang of metal. Then she turned and slashed, and he blocked with a twist that forced her to back away. It was a test. She was trying his defenses.

This time, they were not fully unaware of their surroundings. Shigure knew this would be his last day in Nystas Elden, and was drinking it in. The blades whipped around them, catching the sunlight and making the air hiss. The two moved through the city, across the streets and over steps, until they were at the very edge of the island.

It was a pageant of steel. Their movements were as fluid as if they had been choreographed, their steps weaving a dance, a challenge on the clouds. They drew back momentarily, pausing, swords raised; then Shigure's sword swept forward and the dance continued.

Turning, stepping, leaping, the match continued. A few phoenixes from the city watched in amazement at the ease with which the two battled. Finally their sabers clanged together three times, one after the other, until their swords were locked. With identical twists, their swords were sent spinning to land point-down in the ground behind each. Shigure was smiling again as they paced back from each other and bowed. The match was over; it was a draw.

The next day, Shigure met Tharaide by the edge of the clouds. The Phoenix Council stood in a semicircle around them, with Misaya nearby. One of the councilors nodded to Tharaide. "It is time."

Shigure grasped her shoulders, a look of deep sadness in his eyes. "I wish it didn't have to be this way."

"I know." Her voice was a whisper as she returned the partial embrace, and they held each other for several moments. Then Tharaide pulled away.

"Goodbye, Tharaide," he whispered. The girl's face was filled with anguish as she closed her eyes and spread her arms slightly, letting the magic fill her. Shigure sank to the ground as he knew he would, falling into unconsciousness. Her face was the last thing he saw before slipping from consciousness and into a dreamless sleep, a sleep that would purge him of all memories within the past three weeks.

"Goodbye," Tharaide whispered brokenly. "Shigure…"

She turned away, and Misaya stared at her sadly as one of the councilors recited the spell that would send Shigure back to Earth. _If only her happiness didn't have to end this way…_


	7. Dragon and Phoenix

_A/N - AAAAARGH, I forgot to upload anything yesterday! XD; I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'M SORRY, WORLD! I BEG YOUR FORGIVENESS!1... Ritsu'd_

_Anyway, this part is one of my personal favorites. 'Cuz Hatori is pwnage. Yeah. >D_

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Hatori was driving home through the rain, lost in thought. He sighed. It had been three weeks since the loss of Shigure, and things were as bad as ever. Suddenly, the car in front of him slammed on the brakes and Hatori did as well to avoid crashing, his tires squealing._

The driver jumped out of the car and ran in front; Hatori followed, expecting to see some animal that he had crashed into. He was wrong.

"Hey!" the man shouted, crouching on the ground. "I think he's still alive…"

Hatori gasped, feeling as if someone had just punched him in the stomach. "Alive…"

It was Shigure.

Dashing to his friend's side, he examined him with the eye of a doctor. Shigure was unconscious and seemed to be in a lot of pain, but the only injury Hatori could see was his broken leg, presumably from the accident. "He can't be!"

"He is, and he needs treatment." The man looked at Hatori. "Do you know how we could get to the hospital? I don't have a phone…"

"It's all right. I'll get him there. Help me lift him into the car." Hatori hoisted Shigure's limp form into the back seat and proceeded to make a sharp turn, driving as fast toward the hospital as he could manage without sliding off the road. The windshield wipers worked furiously as Hatori forced his way through the windy torrent. His mind was churning: why was Shigure alive? Why was he here? And what was wrong? Hatori knew better than to attribute all of his symptoms to the broken leg. Something strange was going on here, something that even Hatori did not fully understand. He glanced briefly at his friend, who was moaning in pain. Through all the confusion, one thing was clear: he had to get Shigure back to the hospital as soon as possible.

After a while, Shigure began thrashing around in the back seat and his cries became more tormented. Hatori was forced to pull over. He leaned forward, checking the dog's vitals, and desperately trying to solve the problem. "Shigure, it's me! It's going to be okay!"

Hatori stared helplessly at the sheeting rain, and spoke suddenly, not knowing where the words were coming from. "Leave him," he said quietly.

As if seized by a sudden decision, Hatori rose to his full height and shouted into the night. "Leave him! Get away… this I command!" It was as if something was pushing against him, a wave of malevolence tangible against the night air, and he braced himself, shielding his face from the rain with one arm. "Get away from him! Leave our family alone. We do not belong to you!" The invisible force seized him more vehemently than before, and he shuddered violently, crying out and fighting the urge to sink to his knees. "Leave us now, creature of darkness! We will not succumb! In the name of light, leave us… I, the dragon, command you!"

It was over. He had triumphed. The presence left, throwing him against the side of the car. He rested there for a while, panting, his chest heaving as if he had just run a marathon. Shigure was silent and still again, apparently sleeping peacefully. After a while, he climbed into his seat and drove the rest of the distance, so exhausted that he felt that he would collapse.

Near the side of the road where he had parked, flames inexplicably soared to the sky just for a moment, and a bright scarlet bird shot into the sky.


	8. Memories and Dreams

_A/N - Yes, another update... review, fools >O_

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"Hatori, tell me something."

Hatori looked at Shigure, pausing in his daily checkup. "What?"

"When you found me… was there anyone… with me?" said Shigure, hesitantly.

"No," said Hatori, surprised. "You were alone. Lying in the middle of the road. No idea how you got there."

"Then she was a dream," said Shigure quietly, almost to himself.

"What was that?" Hatori responded, surprised.

"I don't even remember her name… but silly of me," said Shigure, laughing quietly. "She wasn't real. She can't have been. I just remember… when I woke up… all I remembered was that I had seen her face… in my dreams, I suppose." He smiled slightly. "Just her face. And those eyes, her golden eyes… such sorrow she must have known…"

Hatori smiled sadly. "You say she's a dream, but I don't think you quite believe that yourself."

Shigure stared out the window, his eyes gazing far away. "No."

Hatori left and the dog slept, thrown into whirling dreams of sorceresses, scarlet birds and a girl with golden eyes.

"I'm home!" sang Shigure happily, throwing open the door and standing straight despite his crutches and the cast on his right leg.

"Shigure!" shouted Tohru, and followed closely by Yuki and Kyo, she ran at him and hugged him joyfully. "Oh, no," she moaned moments later, as he transformed into a large black dog with one lame leg. Hatori chuckled.

"I'm glad you're back," said Yuki, smiling slightly. "Thank you, Hatori."

They seated around the table, after Shigure had transformed and changed appropriately, treated immediately to an incredible feast cooked personally by Tohru. Dishes flew out of the kitchen at lightning speed, consumed almost equally fast by Shigure. Yuki felt like laughing for the first time in days, and soon was unable to resist the urge, retreating chuckling into the kitchen. It was as if Tohru was unable to stop moving. Life was good; Shigure was alive again.

"Shigure! I have returned!" Ayame threw open the door dramatically, followed closely by a girl.

She beamed, then gasped. "Shigure! …KYO! Oh, my love!"

Kagura darted up to Kyo, taking his hand and pushing him farther and farther back in her excitement. "See? I knew it! I knew you couldn't have murdered him! Oh, Kyo, my darling, everything's going to be okay now! I always believed you!" The girl chattered incessantly, rendering Kyo speechless.

The two in the kitchen paused momentarily as they saw Kyo and Kagura pass the kitchen door. Moments later they returned, Kagura hitting Kyo vengefully with both of Shigure's crutches. Ayame and Shigure's helpless laughter could be heard back in the other room, and Tohru and Yuki could not help but join in.

"Shigure?" A short-haired woman stuck her head into the house at that moment. Her mouth dropped open. "So it's true! You really are here!"

"Ah, Mii," said Shigure, grinning happily. "They were just throwing a party in my honor. Care to join in? I really am enjoying myself."

"I thought you were dead!" she cried, at first in a tone of pleasant surprise. "I thought you were _dead!"_ she repeated, louder, in a voice that did not bode well for Shigure. Clearly she was suspecting another anti-deadline ploy.

"_SHIGURE!"_ she shrieked.

"Hari, hold me," the dog whimpered, hiding behind his friend. The dragon gave an exasperated sigh.

Tohru had suggested a bonfire in the back yard, and there they all sat. Momiji and Haru had also arrived from Sohma House and there was a good deal of chatter going on. Then Ayame noticed that Shigure was not joining in, and was remaining unusually silent and serious.

"Shigure?" he murmured cautiously.

"I just can't stop thinking of her," muttered Shigure, half to himself.

"Her?" Ayame raised his eyebrows. "My dear Shigure, are you in _love?_"

"Love?" Shigure gave a slightly bitter laugh. "I suppose I may be… in love with a dream…" With a deep sigh he leaned back, staring at a particularly bright star that shone above them. "I don't understand it," he said. "She was not, she _could_ not have been real… and yet… no dream can be that vivid."

"Miracles do happen," said Ayame quietly. "Hari told me that when he found you, you were dead. There's no way you simply woke up, unharmed, just like that."

"I know," said Shigure. "I thought… I thought I would die. But here I am…"

The two friends stared at the sky, both lost in thought.


	9. Mission the Second

_A/N - short part today! Unfortunately, I'm nearing the end of the parts I have archived... which means that in a few days I'm gonna have to actually start _writing_ to get new parts up on time. XD Heh heh..._

_And yes, Hatori transforms into the Seahorse, but that's just how the Dragon zodiac manifests itself for some reason. I have a few theories about that, but... I ramble. Onwards! _

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_

"Misaya, have you seen Tharaide?"

The older phoenix shook his head. "No, but I think I know where she is. Training in the mountains, all day. She's been like this ever since that human left."

Mia sighed. "It's a pity. I wish she… could be happy."

"She knows she can't have him," said Misaya. "It's forbidden. She's not even allowed to visit Earth without a direction from the Council."

"Speaking of which, that's why I'm looking for her," said Mia. "The Council wishes to speak with her. I don't know why."

"Well, go." Misaya jerked his head in the direction of the mountains.

"I will." The girl slipped away.

He was right. Tharaide was training again, though this was none of the fiery, passionate training she had gone through with Shigure. She moved in slow motion, gracefully turning and thrusting. However, she was no less dangerous. As Mia slipped into the clearing, she suddenly found Tharaide's sword at her throat. She stiffened. Tharaide's hard eyes searched her face, and she sheathed her blade.

"What is it?" Her voice was low and flat.

Mia swallowed hard. This was not the Tharaide she knew. This was how she had acted after Seita's death. "Tharaide, it's me. The Council wants to see you."

"I'll go see what they want, then." Silently she turned away in the direction of the city. After a pause, Mia followed her.

"Tharaide," said the High Councillor. The phoenix bowed. "You are our most skilled knight. I know you've only just returned from a mission, but I'd like to check something else on Earth."

"More magic bursts?" she said.

"Yes." He unrolled a hand-drawn map of Japan, indicating several locations. "Several here, in quick succession. One of them was quite alarmingly big. And again here… we think a couple of humans ran into this one, but they've escaped unscathed and it's not as if they were completely… _unused_ to magic."

Tharaide's eyes widened. _The Sohmas._ "Any idea of… why?" she whispered.

"It seemed quite similar to phoenix magic, but we haven't detected anyone down there. It must be that sorceress we apprehended last time. Did you dispose of her?"

Tharaide shook her head. "She was gone by the time we arrived."

"Then that must be it." The Councillor turned to another phoenix. "Ikumi, have you found out about any other missing artifacts in Nystas?"

"No, sir." Ikumi shook her head slowly. "Everything's intact and safe."

"Curious," murmured Tharaide. For the first time since Shigure's departure, her eyes took on an interested expression. "I accept, sir."

"Good! If you feel you could use a partner on the mission, go ahead and take someone. You can leave whenever you're ready."

Tharaide bowed and then left.

"You're crazy!" Misaya stared at his friend. "You can't be serious about accepting this. It _was_ to Japan?"

"Misaya! This is not a personal mission!" Tharaide barked. "It… it has nothing to do with him. We have to find out what this is. It appears to be a human wielding some sort of phoenix magic, and…" Realizing she was rambling, Tharaide trailed off and sighed. "I'm sorry," she said in a gentler voice. "I can see why you might be… nervous about this. But… Shigure… it's finished. I was an idiot for hoping…" Abruptly she turned away.

The phoenix stared at her back sadly. "Well, come on. I guess it's time to go."


	10. Chance Meeting

"Well, it was certainly nice to see you, Kagura. Be sure to come back soon, I know we'd all love to see you." Shigure said it with a twinkle in his eye, carefully not looking at Kyo's livid expression.

"Oh, I will! Bye! Bye, Kyo!" Kagura waved happily, completely oblivious, and skipped off.

Shigure returned Kyo's glare with an innocent look. "What? Did I do something wrong?"

Kyo retreated bad-temperedly into the house. "One of these days, I swear…" he muttered. Tohru grinned slightly and followed him.

Everything was back to normal among the Sohmas… or so it seemed. But only Hatori knew about the dreams that still haunted Shigure nightly; vivid dreams of a world that could not be real, and yet a world that even Shigure knew he could not have imagined.

Suddenly, Shigure jumped as a young woman burst unexpectedly out of the woods. Panting as if she had been running very fast, she looked around, and then saw Shigure and straightened slowly, her eyes opening wide. Shigure stiffened as well. It was the girl from his dream.

Tharaide was in shock. She and Misaya had been investigating the area around the cave where Shigure had been found. To meet Shigure so suddenly was truly unexpected. She counted herself lucky that she had thought to hide her wings.

"Hello," said Shigure, uncertain, trying to smile and act naturally. "Are… you looking for something?"

"No," said Tharaide, thinking quickly to come up with a story on the spot. "I'm an… uh, ella… elephant? Electa… eletricia…"

"Electrician?" suggested Shigure kindly. _Perhaps she's foreign,_ Shigure thought to himself, noting her unusual accent and trying to force his mind onto mundane subjects.

"Yes! Yes, that's it!" Tharaide said, seizing on the word with evident relief. "Yes, I'm an electrician, and I'm doing an invest… I mean, a… a survey… of your property. It has come to our attention that you may have… er, something potentially dangerous here. My assistant and I will be doing work around here for a few days."

At that moment, Tohru emerged. "Shigure, dinner's…" She trailed off. "Oh, who's this?"

"My name is Tharaide," said the phoenix, and immediately wished she had given a fake name. _Oh, Misaya is going to _kill_ me for this,_ she thought unhappily. "I'm an… electrician… doing research here. We found out that there could be something dangerous underground here." She looked at the two humans thoughtfully. "Is there anywhere nearby that we could stay while we do our work?"

"Oh! You can stay here if you want!" said Tohru. "There isn't much room, but…"

"Thank you for the kind offer," said a new voice. Misaya approached them from behind Tharaide. "But we couldn't impose. Would you mind if we camped on the property?"

"Not at all," said Shigure. He looked hard at Misaya. _I can't remember ever seeing him before… and yet… I feel like I have…_

"Then that's settled," said Tohru. "It's too kind of you, coming here to help us like this. I'm sure we never would have realized… how much do we owe you?"

"Nothing," said Tharaide, with a slight smile. "We're from… a private group. We just wanted to make sure that any threat was eliminated."

"Well then, I suppose we'll be seeing you tomorrow," said Shigure, forcing a smile. "Good luck." He turned away.

The girl had acted so strangely. Shigure reflected on her as he went inside, unusually silent as he ate. She seemed so intelligent, but her odd pauses and accent spoke of someone new to his language. And yet in most ways, her speech was the equal of any native Japanese speaker. So very strange…

"Tharaide," said Misaya, as the pair pitched their small tents in the woods near Shigure's house. "What were you thinking? This is no time to be distracted."

"I found him by chance," snapped Tharaide.

"And so… this decision to camp by his house was made by choice as well?"

"Look! It's just as well he knows we're here. He won't be startled by the sight of us if he does. It's probably just a rogue or something, we'll take care of the problem and be off by this time next week." Tharaide crawled into her tent. "Goodnight."

Misaya sighed. If her behavior after Seita's death was any indicator, this was extremely hard on her. He curled up inside his own tent. "Goodnight, Tharaide."


	11. Fragmented Memories

_A/N - Aieee, I completely forgot about this! ;-; Sumimasen! PLEASE forgive me! X-X --grovels like Ritsu-- Sorry it's short, too.  
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* * *

_Over the next few weeks, Tharaide and Misaya became well-known and well-liked among the humans at Shigure's house. Shigure soon found himself being attracted to Tharaide, wanting to spend time with her, find out more about her. Reluctantly at first, she obliged him, even taking meals with the Sohmas and Tohru, despite Misaya's disapproval.

"I've never seen anyone with such sadness in their eyes," Shigure said quietly one evening. "And I… I don't know why, I just wish I could comfort her somehow. I know it sounds… foolish."

Hatori looked at him. "Perhaps." He looked up at the stars. "She… is an interesting person. There must be some deep sorrow in her past… something that I don't know if even we could comprehend."

"I wish I could find out… help her. You don't believe her story about being an electrician, do you?"

"Perhaps…" He shook his head. "In any case, Shigure, don't let this girl entangle you. It would be a danger, you know that, and I don't want any of us to meddle in things that don't concern us."

"At least you must understand something of what I'm feeling," whispered Shigure, his voice barely audible. "No matter how guarded you are, my friend."

"Are you getting anything?" said Tharaide anxiously as Misaya cast the seeking spell. His eyes were closed, his face taut with concentration, his arms raised slightly.

"Not a thing," he said slowly, anxiously. "It doesn't seem right…"

Slowly he opened his eyes and looked back at her. "I'm worried about this, Tharaide… it's taking far longer than it should."

Tharaide sighed. Her intuition told her that this mission was far from ordinary. And Shigure. It was painful being around him, especially when she could see that he remembered nothing of her, but somehow it eased the pain at the same time. Gave her the strength to carry on with this mission. When she left, she knew her heart would break again.

"Keep searching, then," said Tharaide quietly, turning to leave.

Without really knowing why, she wandered up to the higher slopes, along the edge of the cliffs. The sun was setting.Then she gave a small gasp as she realized she was not alone there. She walked down to the very edge, a few feet away from where Shigure stood, and watched the sun set wordlessly.

"Tharaide," said Shigure, startled. "I didn't expect…" He trailed off as he realized she was quietly sobbing. He strode over to her side. "What is it? What's wrong?" They turned to face each other.

"Shigure… I…" She lifted her tearstained face to meet his eyes.

"Please…" He took her hands in his, his eyes filled with worry and empathy. "I want to help you. It's okay…"

Tharaide took a deep shuddering breath and stepped back, shaking her head wordlessly, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she whispered, continuing to move away from him. Then abruptly, she stepped back over the edge of the cliff and disappeared.

"Tharaide!" shouted Shigure, horrified. He dashed to the edge and looked down, but she had vanished. After searching the foot of the cliff, he assumed she must have landed unhurt and run off.

Tharaide landed in the woods, her wings receding into her back, and she grimaced in self-rebuke. "Stupid, stupid…" she murmured to herself, giving a deep sigh. "If only…"

Back at the house, Shigure was in his study, working on yet another manuscript. Suddenly the door opened. He glanced up, expecting to see Mii; his editor was usually the only one who ever entered that room. He was startled to see Tharaide. He got to his feet quickly and went to greet her.

"Tharaide… you're okay…" He stepped back a little, wanting to hug her in relief and resisting the urge. If she didn't kill him for it, Akito would for allowing himself to transform in front of her. And more than anything, he didn't want her memory to be erased. "I'm… sorry."

"No, don't be," said Tharaide, lowering her head. "I… I know how you feel… And I wish… but… we can't…" She looked into his eyes, distraught. "Please understand," she whispered, and then left.


	12. Ambush

_A/N - So, all right folks, this is the last chapter I actually have stored. After this, I'm gonna have to actually write them. I most probably am going to finish this fic, because Rain would kill me if I didn't, but I'm not sure if it will ever get finished here. shrug I'm just kinda feeling discouraged about continuing it, I guess._

_...So basically, review now or forever hold your peace. >O_

_Short part today, by the way. They seem to be getting shorter and shorter oO My apologies. _

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Shigure did understand. Somehow, for some reason, she felt the same as he. From then on, the two treated one another with a distant politeness, not wanting to be involved like before. Still, it wasn't the last time he saw her. For some reason, the two kept bumping into each other, almost at random.

He was walking home from the store, having volunteered for that week's grocery duties (to the surprise of the others). The man wanted to do anything to get out of the house, and hopefully avoid Mii and Tharaide at the same time… though for two very different reasons.

He went home via a different route than usual, through the woods, and came upon a strange sight as he walked along the cliffs. Tharaide was standing completely still, her feet spread in a fighting stance, and in each hand a sword, the two blades crossing each other.

"Tharaide…?"

"Shh!" Tharaide hissed at him to be silent, every muscle in her body tensing.

Suddenly, a creature hurtled out of the trees at her, yowling in a way that made Shigure's hair stand on end. It had a vaguely human shape, covered with scales and feathers, the only defining features its glowing red eyes. A pair of skeletal batlike wings were spread from its back. With two quick strikes, Tharaide cut the thing down, and it collapsed into a pile of ash.

And all at once they were surrounded.

"Defend yourself!" cried Tharaide, and with a fluid movement tossed one of her swords to Shigure.

He flinched, throwing out one hand… and somehow, impossibly, he caught it, deftly grasping the hilt.

Tharaide looked at him with a strange look in her eyes. "Your body will remember its skill, even if your mind does not," she said quietly, then her attention snapped back to the things that surrounded them before Shigure's mind had even processed the words.

"What did you say?" Shigure shouted, but Tharaide shook her head.

"No time for that! There are way too many…" Her voice trailed off in a clash of steel as she began to repel the assault. "Defend yourself, quickly!"

"B-but how…?"

Tharaide paused long enough to give him a disparaging look. "The sword. Swing it!"

Shigure did, feeling incredibly awkward, a feeling that changed swiftly. This was incredible… it was _easy._ Briefly he wondered if this was how Kyo felt when he fought, and for the first time understood why people like Kazuma or Kyo would devote their lives to learning such a skill. Soon, all thought was forced from his mind and he became completely focused on attacking his assailers and defending his very life.

He and Tharaide found themselves being pressed back to the cliff edge. Standing back to back, they managed to repel the creatures' strikes, but Shigure felt himself making small steps back and knew they couldn't hold their own. Though he didn't look behind him, he knew that the cliff with its sharp drop was just at his back. "We can't hold them off! What do we do?"

Snarling, Tharaide jumped ahead of him and made one slash through the front ranks with her sword, sunlight reflecting brightly off the blade. The effect was blinding and immediate, the first row of creatures collapsing into soot. It took a while for the reflective sword's image to fade from Shigure's retinas. Though had that been reflected sunlight, or…

"There are too many…" Tharaide murmured. Her last assault had left the creatures confused and slightly afraid, but they weren't intelligent enough to be scattered from fear. She looked at Shigure standing next to her, breathing hard, a fearful but fascinated expression in his eyes, and knew she had no choice. He wouldn't rise.

With a sudden movement, Tharaide grabbed Shigure's arm. He looked at her in surprise, but she paid him no attention. Holding tight to her companion, she took a deep breath and leaped off the cliff edge, dragging him with her as a pair of bright golden wings flared from her back. Shigure became rigid with surprise.

"We're not free yet," Tharaide shouted, looking behind her to see a couple of dark figures following close behind, skeletal wings extended. She shifted her grip slightly, grabbing Shigure by both arms, and folded her wings in a dive, straight through the forest canopy. The pair crashed through the foliage and landed sprawled in the undergrowth, panting.


End file.
